


Revenge: An Answer to Betrayal

by Dunuelos



Series: Harry Potter, Lone Traveler [13]
Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-09-01 17:10:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20261611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dunuelos/pseuds/Dunuelos
Summary: "The Lone Traveler: Young man who tried to change the past and save those he loved… plan failed and became the Lone Traveler, wandering through time and reality, making a difference wherever he went… very powerful… defeated a powerful Dark Lord… swept along the path he walked by a spectacular aura of blue light."'Legends & Myths of the Wizarding World' by Gertrude YolandaFF St ID 2673584 – Chap 9 – The Professional





	Revenge: An Answer to Betrayal

**Author's Note:**

> "The Lone Traveler: Young man who tried to change the past and save those he loved… plan failed and became the Lone Traveler, wandering through time and reality, making a difference wherever he went… very powerful… defeated a powerful Dark Lord… swept along the path he walked by a spectacular aura of blue light."
> 
> 'Legends & Myths of the Wizarding World' by Gertrude Yolanda
> 
> FF St ID 2673584 – Chap 9 – The Professional

It was very late. Tom was cleaning the pub's common room before making his way to bed. In truth, he was a bit depressed. How anyone who knew the lad could think those things about him seemed so unbelievably impossible that he couldn't even conceive how it could be.

Suddenly, in the middle of the pub a blue light pulsed. Tom stood back and watched in awe as a figure appeared out the light. Dressed in a leather jacket, demins, and a white t-shirt, the figure looked around and to him and said, "I am a Lone Traveler in the night."

Tom gasped.

* * *

Harry Traveler groaned as he got out of the bed Tom had given him the night before. The current circumstances indicated one of THOSE universes. Tom and he had spoken long into the night. Everything that had been reported in the news, what Tom had seen, the indications that Harry recognized even if Tom hadn't when Harry asked for certain details: All led him to the conclusion that this was one of the almost too-corrupted versions of the Wizarding World. Harry had much to do and only two days to do those things.

Harry ate the meal that Tom had sent up and then mentally prepared himself. He then made his way to an apparition point nearby. It was time to polish off his rusty fighting skills.

* * *

Dumbledore was banging a gavel yelling, "Order! Order! The Wizengamot will come to Order! This is 1 July, 1995. Trial of Harry James Potter. The Wizengamot sits in judgement! Albus Wulfric Percivel Brian Dumbledore, Chief Warlock, Presiding. Chief Warlock; Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic; and Amelia Susan Bones, Director of Magical Law Enforcement as the senior panel. Prosecutor Rufus Scrimgeour. The Defendant, Harry James Potter, is present! We will …." He was interrupted by a call from the rear of the chamber.

"Gary Seven, Barrister for the Defense!" A well-dressed man made his way forward. He was dressed in an impeccable black pinstripe robe. He had brown hair, blue eyes, and appeared to be about 30 years old. He walked with confidence until he stood beside Harry Potter.

Harry Potter was bruised and appeared to be in a stupor. He had been beaten a number of times in the last week and he made no sound as he was currently unable.

Dumbledore looked at the man who interrupted and said, "We have received no report that Mr. Potter had retained counsel."

Gary looked at the three leading members of government and said, "Don't all defendants have the right to be defended? Does the Common Law not hold in the Wizarding World?"

Dumbledore was annoyed but tried to remain calm as he said, "The defendant is a minor and his magical guardian eschewed the requirement for defense counsel."

"OBJECTION!" Mr. Seven called out. "Harry James Potter is not a minor."

There was a babble in the background and Dumbledore banged his gavel repeatedly again to restore order. "Mr. Potter is fourteen years old and this is still a minor."

"Is he not being tried as an adult? Is he not under threat, with the weight of punishment of an adult over his head?" He pointed to the two dementors being kept off to the side. "Besides, the Minister, the Chief Warlock, and a Ministry Department Head, Bartemius Crouch, declared him an adult when Mr. Potter was forced to compete in the Triwizard Tournament when the rules set up declared that only an of-age student could participate. 60 Wizengamot Reports 393, re: Fallon." (1)

The three members of the senior panel talked briefly. When they were done, Fudge and Dumbledore looked irritated. Bones looked satisfied.

"Your Objection is sustained. Mr. Potter has been deemed to be an adult. However, Mr. Potter has not stated that he has accepted you as his Barrister."

"How could he when he is sitting here under a silencing charm?"

There was an additional outcry when this was reported. Scrimgeour, Fudge, and Dumbledore all had looks of disappointment. Bones looked outraged. Per Gary's request, Amelia Bones was the person that reversed the silencing charms. As soon as they were lifted, Harry gasped and said in a voice that appeared to be strained from disuse, "Gary Seven is my Barristar."

Gary forced a recess to allow him to speak to Harry alone as his Barrister.

Harry and his Barrister were led to a room where the two could speak. Once they were alone, Gary removed several listening charms and then removed his glamour. Harry gasped. After performing several minor healing spells and calling Dobby for some food (as Harry hadn't had a decent meal for days) Gary told Harry everything that he had seen and everything he had done. He then asked Harry a few questions.

Harry's responses were just about what Gary expected.

* * *

Dumbledore finally ended the recess and the trial began. A parade of witnesses was called by the prosecution. Amos Diggory, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Severus Snape, Hermione Granger, Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley: All had been led into testimony that made Harry look like a delusional murder, trying to lead his class mates and those around him into the Dark Arts. There was testimony about how Sirius Black had shown up and how Harry gave the man his invisibility cloak to get away. He had been seen later with Harry's owl but had escaped before Aurors could arrive.

Gary had to calm Harry a number of times as he couldn't believe that he had been betrayed so thoroughly.

Finally, when the prosecution finished, Gary began his defense.

Gary called Kingsley Shacklebolt to the stand. He had been the Auror that Dumbledore had called to arrest Harry.

"Mr. Shacklbolt, you were Auror that took Mr. Potter in custody, correct?"

"Yes."

"What evidence was supplied to you to demonstrate his guilt?"

"He returned with Mr. Diggory's body. He claimed that a dead man had performed the crime. However, after interviewing several witnesses Mr. Potter was arrested."

"Was a Prior Incantatum performed on Mr. Potter's wand?"

Kingsley looked embarrassed. "No."

"Why not?"

Kingsley looked very hesitant as he said, "It had already been snapped when the Headmaster pronounced his expulsion."

"What evidence did you have that Harry Potter performed the Killing Curse that took Mr. Diggory's life?"

"Well, there were many that gave statements."

"According to testimony, Mr. Diggory and Mr. Potter disappeared from the maze and returned later, with Mr. Diggory already being dead. What witness actually saw him perform the curse?"

Kingsley looked extremely reluctant as he admitted that there had been none.

After Kingsley was dismissed, Gary called Alastor Moody to the stand.

"Mr. Moody. Where were you during the Final Task of the Triwizard Tournament?"

"Locked in my trunk in the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor's office at Hogwarts." There where many whisperings in the public gallery and among the Wizengamot members.

"How long had you been locked into the trunk?"

"Almost 10 months. Since the 1st of September, 1994."

"Who locked you into the trunk?"

"Barty Crouch Junior."

There was an explosion of babbling and it took a few minutes for the courtroom to come to order.

"How did you come to be put in that trunk?"

Scrimgeour yelled out, "Objection! Relevance! Mr. Moody wasn't at the scene of the crime. Unrelated trivia has no relation to this case!"

Gary looked at the Prosecutor and said, "My objections of Relevance with the testimony of Arthur Weasley and others were all overruled. This testimony goes to actual circumstances and how it came to be."

After some discussion, Gary was allowed to continue.

"I was blind sided by Crouch Junior and Peter Pettigrew."

There was babble in the courtroom, larger than any previous interruption.

The Minister tried to get the testimony thrown out because it was obviously false. Peter Pettigrew was dead!

"Mr. Moody. Would you be willing to submit to veritaserum to validate your testimony?"

Alastor took on a fierce look. "Only if it was administered by Amelia. I don't trust any of the rest of 'em not to try to poison me."

After another round of whispers and cries for order, Scrimgeour stood up. "The Prosecution is willing to stipulate as to Mr. Moody's testimony if the defense is willing to stipulate that Mr. Moody's testimony is only what he saw. There has been no evidence presented yet that someone else OTHER than Mr. Pettigrew somehow magically altered their appearance to fool him."

Gary nodded in acceptance of this fact and grudgingly admitted to himself that not all Rufus Scrimgeours were complete idiots.

Once Moody had been released from his testimony Gary said, "I call Peter Ambrosius Pettigrew to the stand."

After getting order reestablished, Dumbledore (a bit smugly) claimed that it was impossible because whether or not he was alive he wasn't there.

"Oh. But he is."

Gary pulled a rat out of his pocket and set it on the ground. With a small wandless spell to wake the rat up, the rat reverted to human form. Gary smiled to himself. The confundus charms and other spells he had used to create that effect were very effective.

It was obvious to the courtroom that Peter was in bad shape. As the man looked around, all could see that the sleeve of his robe was missing and the dark mark was in plain view, black and harsh against Pettigrew's skin. Harry, looking up from the bit of parchment Gary had slipped him while this was going on called out, "Peter Ambrosius Pettigrew! In payment of the Life Debt owed to me by saving your life on 28 May, 1993, I demand you answer all questions asked by Mr. Gary Seven truthfully and fully!"

Albus Dumbledore was frustrated. Everyone had seen Pettigrew transform from rat to human. He saw no way to avoid what was coming.

After order was reestablished and Pettigrew was forced into the witness chair by Aurors, Gary began his questioning.

"I am Gary Seven, representing Harry James Potter. Are you Peter Ambrosius Pettigrew?"

Pettigrew looked like he had no desire to be where he was, but the life debt forced him. "Yes."

The questions that Gary asked damned Pettigrew when they were answered.

"How are you alive when it was widely reported that you died?"

"Did Sirius Black kill anyone before, during, or after your confrontation on 4 November 1981?"

"Did you live disguised as a pet rat with the Weasleys between 4 November 1981 and 28 May 1993?"

"Are you a Death Eater?"

"Were you the Secret Keeper for the location of James, Lily, and Harry Potter until 31 October 1981?"

"Why did everyone think Sirius Black was the Secret Keeper?"

"Where have you spent the last year?"

"What ritual did you perform on 24 June 1995?"

"Did you kill the boy that arrived to the graveyard with Harry Potter on 24 June 1995?"

"Who ordered it?"

When all the questions had been answered, it was obvious that everyone in the room was completely stunned at the answers. It was patently obvious that many lies had been told. Everyone in the room was in complete shock.

"My final question: How did you come to be in my custody?"

"Somehow, I was stunned from behind when I was out foraging for my Master's familiar."

Gary turned to Scrimgeour and said, "You can cross examine him, but you'd have to use veritaserum. Harry only ordered him to answer my questions to repay the life debt."

Gary could have asked about accomplices and other things, but he wasn't trying to save the wizarding world. He considered this one to be so corrupt that it would make very little difference. Someone else would have to make an effort. The talk with Harry and a few things he had found in the last two days had convinced him.

After Amelia Bones had gotten Pettigrew taken into custody, Gary looked at the Panel and said, "The Defense rests," and sat down.

A reluctant Dumbledore, a nervous Fudge, and a calm Bones finally called for the vote and pronounced Harry innocent. Before anything further could be said, Gary stood. "It is patently obvious that Sirius Black was innocent of the charges which saw him sent to Azkaban and for which he was never tried. I demand that the Minister, Chief Warlock, and DMLE Director sign this Writ of Habeas Corpus declaring him free and not subject to arrest or detainment."

Once again, there was a hubbub, but as there were so many witnesses it was hard to find grounds to refuse. All three signed the order. When Percy Weasley, who was acting as bailiff, returned the Writ to Gary, Gary turned and called out, "Padfoot!"

A man came forward. He tapped himself with a wand and the glamour he had been wearing dropped. "Hi, folks!"

There were screams in the audience. The Senior Undersecretary dropped the containment field for the dementors. Gary whipped out his wand and, using his Mmmr Patronus, forced the dementors back. He turned to Amelia Bones. "I demand Dolores Umbridge be arrested for trying to murder the Head of the Noble and Ancient House of Black! She just witnessed the Writ of Habeas Corpus being issued and she set dementors to have him kissed anyway!"

Amelia two more Aurors to take the woman in custody. Umbridge shrieked all the way until she was taken from the room. Four more Aurors were placed to protect Sirius and Harry until the session was dismissed.

Once again, Dumbledore tried to end the session but Gary had one more surprise. "Before the Chief Warlock dismissed the Wizengamot, I have one more prisoner to deliver and I would prefer there be witnesses."

Amelia forced Dumbledore and Fudge to shut up and got even four MORE Aurors to the chamber. Amelia mused that she was running out of Aurors.

Gary took a figurine out of his pocket and set it on the floor in the middle of the four Aurors. The figurine changed into Voldemort himself – chained, gagged, and under a Perfectus Totalis. "When I captured Pettigrew, this criminal was also present. I turn him over to you. If he escapes somehow or is aided by traitors, that is not the problem of my client or myself." He turned to Harry and said, "Do you have anything to say to these people?"

Harry, who had been freed from the chair that had restrained him, looked with loathing at Voldemort and then Dumbledore. He turned to the audience and saw the Weasleys and Hermione Granger watching him. For some reason, Fred and George were not present. Neville, Harry noted, also wasn't present. Maybe not all of them were useless, but enough of them were.

"I saved Hogwarts from this idiot in my first year. I helped save another student from a troll. I saved Hogwarts and all of your children again in my second year, being bit by a basilisk for my troubles. I've been ridiculed, maligned, beaten, and subject to the tender mercies of traitors and idiots. My wand was snapped and I was expelled for a crime I didn't commit. My godfather was imprisoned for 12 years without a trial. As far as I can tell, he's one of a very few that are not complete idiots, complete traitors, or completely corrupt in Magical Britain. I'm done with you all. As far as I'm concerned, you can all rot in hell."

Before anyone could react to Harry's statement Gary called out, "Fawkes!"

In the middle of the room, a ball of flame appeared and out of that flew a phoenix. Albus Dumbledore was speechless. He was even more shocked when the phoenix flew over his head – and deposited a white streak in his long hair. Fawkes flew over and presented his tail feathers to Sirius and Harry. Both grabbed on. Harry said, "Fuck you all, very much."

Sirius gave everyone a raspberry and said, "And your mothers too."

The two disappeared with the phoenix in a ball of flame.

Gary tapped himself on the head and the glamour he had been wearing disappeared. The transfiguration on his clothes disappeared and he appeared as he normally did. "My name is Harry Potter. I am also known as the Lone Traveler. I must say that this is one of the worst versions of Magical Britain of all the timelines and universes that I have visited."

Gary turned and, using the trick he had first accidentally encountered many, many universes ago, disappeared in a ball of blue light. As he hadn't moved on from this universe and only to another place within, there was no music which accompanied it. That form of travel was not prevented by anti-apparition or other wards.

The uproar that they left behind was long and impossible to control.

* * *

Gary appeared in Gringotts. In the conference room were Harry, Sirius, and Remus Lupin. Also there were Hedwig and Fawkes. Hedwig was preening Harry's hair and Fawkes was sitting perched on the back of a chair, looking amused.

Gary said, "Well, that's that." He turned to the goblins who were witnessing all of this. "I need permission to use a few spells as I told you yesterday. Can I do them now?"

Sharpclaw nodded. Gary took his wand and said, "Harry, I have to remove a few spells from you." Harry looked at Gary and agreed. Gary removed several tracking charms. He also removed two bindings. When that was done, he said, "This last one is a doozy. Brace yourself." Harry looked nervous, but nodded his permission. Gary finited the binding on the soul shard. When the cloud appeared, Fawkes screamed and flamed over. The mist took fire before it turned to ash and then dissipated. Fawkes then sang a victory song which raised the spirits of everyone present.

When all was said and done and Fawkes had quieted, Gary turned to the other three and said, "Any responsibility Harry has about the Dork Lord has been dealt with. As Harry has been freed from having to return to Hogwarts and he is considered an adult, I recommend transferring your vaults to another country and getting away from here."

Harry said to the other two, "I'd say let's move to Australia or Canada; anywhere but this cesspool."

Sirius grinned and said, "I know a few exotic beaches that could use the old Padfoot charm. We can deal with details after a vacation."

Gary laughed. He could imagine the type of beach that Sirius would recommend. "By the way, you might or might not have noticed but there were several people who WEREN'T called as witnesses. Bill, Fred, George, Neville. Whatever. I recommend sending letters and recommending they get the hell out of dodge now. Or send a letter to the Prophet. Or, just leave. What you do is your choice. If they're idiots, they won't listen to you. If they are smart, you can pay Gringotts to forward mail from certain people. Just do whatever makes you happy."

Harry nodded. "Thanks." He looked down in sorrow. "I can't believe that I was betrayed like that. It's hard." He looked up. "But the week in Azkaban taught me it isn't my fault and feeling guilty about it doesn't help."

"Padfoot here can give you advice about learning to live your life. And if he fails, there's always Moony." Harry Traveler felt the call and he considered what parting advice he could give. Finally, he had it.

"It has been often said that the best revenge is living your life well. Don't do it out of spite, because they aren't worth it. Do it for yourself."

He turned and disappeared in a blue light. The people in the room, including the goblins, were amazed. Fawkes started singing in harmony with the victorious melody that accompanied the exit of the Lone Traveler. Harry finally turned to the others and said, "Let's get this done."

* * *

After the absolute disaster that was the Wizengamot that day, Albus Dumbledore had to spend hours dealing with the fallout. Fudge, it was obvious, would be gone very quickly. Amelia had to call in everything she could just to make sure that Voldemort was secured and no one could break him out. Two Aurors were already dead. One had been killed by a traitor who had tried to help the Dark Lord escape and who was now dead himself. Dumbledore knew that even with the Dark Lord in custody, there was much work to be done.

Nothing in his life had surprised him more than what he had found when he returned to his office. Every device that had to do with Harry Potter was completely dead. Fawkes' perch was gone. And in the middle of his desk were several items that had obviously been destroyed. Hufflepuff's Chalice, Ravenclaw's Diadem, Slytherin's Locket, and a dead snake. The diary had already been destroyed. There was also a warning that Harry was free of any connection to Voldemort and that he, Albus Dumbledore, would never enjoy any more influence with the Boy-Who-Left as Harry Potter was now being called.

That connection was the exact reason that he had turned opinion against Harry and allowed him to be accused of the Diggory boy's murder. Harry in Azkaban limited Tom's choices; he didn't want Tom using the connection to take over his weapon. All of his plans, however, were now in ashes. The fallout would be enormous.

At least the Lone Traveler had not left Britain totally under Tom's control. He would have to make plans to retrieve the last device and destroy the last horcrux. There was a note which told him exactly where to find it well as a vial of basilisk venom to destroy it with.

That the Lone Traveler had deliberately left the Ring as a trap, understanding Dumbledore as he did, never crossed the Headmaster's mind.

Whether Albus Dumbledore lived or died was not the responsibility of either Harry Potter.

* * *

Headmistress McGonagall looked out to the student body on the 1st of September, 1995. The mood of the room was somewhat depressed, not what it should be at the opening feast.

The loss of Albus Dumbledore was the one of a long time of depressing occurrences from the summer just past. After that horrible mishandling of Harry Potter's situation and the Ministry's attempt to pin the murder of Cedric Diggory on him, the hits had just kept on coming.

The only positive result was that Voldemort was no more. Testimony from Pettigrew under veritaserum had named the inner circle members who had come after his resurrection. Riddle, himself, had been pushed through the Veil of Death after a near debacle when they had tried to have him kissed. The dementor had rebelled and had to be restrained.

Fudge hadn't lasted a week. Umbridge was in Azkaban. Snape had disappeared after the death of the Dark Lord. He would only say that the vow he had made to Dumbledore had been fulfilled.

Of course, he had narrowly missed the Aurors that had come calling to take him in for questioning.

Dumbledore had died after an encounter with a cursed item. Without quick transportation after Fawkes had broken his bond, it had taken Dumbledore far too long to gather up enough concentration to portkey back to Hogwarts. By the time Snape and Poppy had tried to counter it, too much damage had been done. He lived long enough to see the artifact destroyed with basilisk venom, of all things. He had then made a deathbed confession of his many wrongdoings regarding Harry Potter and Tom Riddle.

Harry Potter would never hear of it, unless he somehow resurfaced. Every attempt to contact him to rescind his expulsion failed. Minerva wasn't surprised. After the letter in the Prophet had appeared two days after the trial, the Ministry had made several tries. The withdrawal of 49 students from various years both from the pureblood dark families and those that were muggleborn or neutral backgrounds had reduced Hogwarts' rolls to a mockery.

Dumbledore had been blamed by many and the funeral had been very poorly attended. His most ardent admirers and supporters had filled very few seats.

By the time laws had been proposed to counter the bleeding, far too many students had been accepted by other schools and could not be forced to return.

It was a very uncertain future that now faced Magical Britain.

**Author's Note:**

> (1) "Honor a Hufflepuff" by Stephen Ratliff, was the source of my use of 60 Wizengamot Reports 393. **Blush** I stole that. Sorry. It wasn't completely on point, because Stephen used it as the reason why Harry could sit a Wizengamot seat and that isn't the case here, but it sounded good as a reason why Harry being forced to compete would make him an adult. So, it worked as a plot device without a lot of writing.


End file.
